eVisa problems stared already

[Sal1994]

Hi All,

I don’t know if I am misunderstanding the whole eVisa situation but I was just refused a tourist visa to Morocco which I applied for using my online status as proof of UK residence. They do require 180 days remain in your residency, but the BRP shows end date of Dec 2024, and online status shows no end date at all since it’s permanent, in fact it proves nothing other than my name, image and name of residency and can be super easily faked. I saw someone with a similar issue going to the UAE and was refused boarding because the online status “doesn’t prove their residency”.

I am wondering how will this work after December when we don’t even have BRPs anymore? How do I prove my UK residency to border agents abroad?

[lolo2]

These concerns have been addressed in this post: eVisa and others related to the same topic in the General UK Immigration forum

[Sal1994]

These concerns have been addressed in this post: eVisa and others related to the same topic in the General UK Immigration forum

Thanks for the links! I also checked with the Turkish eVisa application system and it explicitly states eVisas cannot be used as evidence of residency. It baffles me how something like this was not addressed from the start by the HO, I wonder if they even thought that far yet. This will cost so many people a lot of money if not addressed quickly.

[zimba]

Hi All,

I don’t know if I am misunderstanding the whole eVisa situation but I was just refused a tourist visa to Morocco which I applied for using my online status as proof of UK residence. They do require 180 days remain in your residency, but the BRP shows end date of Dec 2024, and online status shows no end date at all since it’s permanent, in fact it proves nothing other than my name, image and name of residency and can be super easily faked. I saw someone with a similar issue going to the UAE and was refused boarding because the online status “doesn’t prove their residency”.

I am wondering how will this work after December when we don’t even have BRPs anymore? How do I prove my UK residency to border agents abroad?

BRP remain valid for travel until the end of the year. UKVI has yet to announce how the eVisas can be used for travel starting in 2025. They will introduce certain features to verify an eVisa status and so it cannot be faked

[secret.simon]

It baffles me how something like this was not addressed from the start by the HO, I wonder if they even thought that far yet. This will cost so many people a lot of money if not addressed quickly.

I don't think the UK Home Office would have given any thought to how other countries design their immigration/visit visa policies and what proofs they need of British residency.

The way the Home Office would see it, a UK visa vignette/BRP/BRC has one job; for the airline staff to verify that you have a right to get onto a plane to come to the UK. Essentially, the three options above makes a visa-national the equivalent of a non-visa-national and get you to the UK border, where UK Immigration Officers have access to the Home Office databases and resources to make a decision on whether to let you into the country or not.

How other countries process a UK residence permit/visa is not really something the Home Office likely even considered.

Besides, we are still in the beta testing of the system, which hasn't gone live yet. I would expect problems to get ironed out over the first few months of the system running. I wouldn't plan any travels for the first six months of 2025.

Also, the UK Home Office is of course oriented towards domestic UK matters. It doesn't deal with foreign countries. That would be the domain of the FCDO. And I doubt that the FCDO has looked into it because immigration status is a UK domestic matter.